Low-cost airline fastjet has recruited Jimmy Kibati as general manager, East Africa, effective 17th March. He joins from Kenya Airways where he he last served as Acting commercial director.

Jimmy Kibati will for the time being be based in Dar es Salaam, from where the airline presently flies to 4 domestic destinations, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Zanzibar and Mbeya and two international destinations, Johannesburg and Lusaka.

‘I am absolutely delighted that we have recruited such a high calibre airline executive to spearhead FastJet’s expansion in East Africa. Jimmy’s vast experience in the East African aviation market will be invaluable as we fulfill our goal of becoming a truly pan-African low cost airline.Jimmy’s appointment underlines the confidence which Fastjet’s track record has generated within the industry’, said Ed Winter,Fastjet's Interim chairman and CEO, based in London.

According to wolfganghthome.wordpress.com, Jimmy started his aviation career fresh out of Kenyatta University with Kenya Airways in 1992, and notably served as Country Manager for Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi for a while, based in Kampala. He left Kenya Airways in 2005 to join Virgin Nigeria at the time as Head of Network Planning before rising to the position of Chief Commercial Officer. In 2010 Jimmy Kibati returned to Kenya Airways as Head of Network Planning and Airline Strategy, where he oversaw the development of ‘Plan Mawingo’, KQ’s strategic plan covering the immediate future until 2022, which outlines the near tripling of the present fleet from 45 aircraft to 119 aircraft and the near doubling of destinations from presently 65 to 115, then covering all parts of the world.

Jimmy Kibati was appointed Acting Commercial Director when the position fell vacant in late 2012 but decided to leave Kenya Airways to join fast rising FastJet, when KQ recruited a new Commercial Director recently.